Samurai's Heart Battosai's Heart
by Deception'sChosen
Summary: Sano finds a woman who is starving and brings her to the Kenshingumi. She has a dark past. How does she know Kenshin? What is their relationship? Where does Sano stand on her?
1. Chapter 1

**Samurai's Heart. Battosai's Blade.**

Chapter 1

Sano sighed and looked up and down the street. The sun was setting, and he knew that he should be getting home before he did something stupid. Like get in a fight. Actually, that sounded like fun, but oh well.

He looked toward a darkened corner where usually a prostitute or two stood, plying their trade with cool smiles and lewd comments. Tonight however, a person of about Kenshin's height with a hood drawn over their head, wearing a tattered yukata and hakama with no shoes. When he got a little closer, he saw that the person had a sword at her hip.

"Hey."

The person raised its head, wide grey eyes locked onto him for a moment. Now that he could see the person properly, he saw that the figure was female. She took a step toward him, then fell forward in a dead faint. He caught her and tried to shake her back to consciousness to no avail. Finally he scooped her up, she felt like a skeleton with a thin layer of skin stretched over it.

"First thing we're doing when I get you to Kaoru's and you wake up, you're getting as much food as Kenshin can cook. Can't have Kaoru cook for you, you'll puke whatever's left of you out."

He walked as quickly as he could without jostling the woman slung over his shoulder. Her hands were decorated with scars, and there was a long thin scar that ran from left to right over the bridge of her nose and stretched under her eyes over her cheekbones. It was obvious that she was a fighter, but why was she carrying a sword? Didn't she know it was illegal?

He pushed open the door of Kaoru's house, calling out for Kenshin to start cooking and Kaoru to get some clean clothes. Kaoru looked at the woman draped over Sano's shoulder and grimaced. The woman stank, her hair, which hung in ropes over her face, was so matted and dirty that nobody could tell what color it was. Yahiko jogged to the bathhouse, lighting the fire and coming back in as Sano set the woman on the ground outside the door.

"Kaoru doesn't want her in the house until she has been washed. Can't blame her really, she does smell."

Yahiko nodded and looked around as Kaoru came outside with a clean robe and a towel. She heaved the woman up into her arms and stalked into the bathhouse just as the woman opened her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Samurai's Heart. Battosai's Blade.**

Chapter 2

The woman opened her eyes, slowly putting a hand to her head.

_Ugh, my head… What happened? And __what__ is that smell?!_

She looked around, seeing a black haired woman kneeling by a pool of steaming water. When she shifted, the woman turned.

"Oh, you're awake. Good. Take off your clothes and get into the tub, I have soap and a towel for you to use, and a clean robe for tonight. I'll let you borrow some of my clothes until you get on your feet."

_Oh. I'm the smell…_

She stood, her legs shaking as she stripped and stepped into the water. When the black haired woman reached out to help her, she pulled her arm away.

"I can bathe on my own, thank you."

The woman pinched her lips together angrily, and stood.

"Fine. Come out when you are finished."

Just before she slammed the door, she heard the stranger call for her to wait.

"I'm sorry. I am very proud, and I have already had to be carried once today… My pride spoke before my mind could stop it."

The black haired woman came back and knelt down by the tub and picked up a small pail and filled it with warm water. She held it out with a smile.

"I could wash your hair while you do the rest."

The woman nodded and the black haired woman moved behind her, pouring some of the water over her head.

"My name is Kaoru. What about you?"

Kaoru scrubbed the other woman's hair for a moment, looking at the woman's boney back, her shoulder blades looking like they were going to cut through her skin, before she answered.

"My name… Kanna. You can call me Kanna."

Kanna's voice was as high and soft as a twelve year old girl's, but her eyes were much older. They were like Kenshin's, haunted and wise, even when she was smiling. Kaoru lifted the bucket again, telling Kanna to close her eyes and hold her breath while she rinsed her hair. The water that ran out of her hair was dark with dirt and grime, and took three more washings to get to run clear. When her hair was finally clean, Kaoru was amazed to find it was a pale silvery color. She lifted a strand to examine it, her eyes wide.

"What unusual hair! Such a beautiful color…"

"It makes me stand out. I don't like it…"

Kaoru smiled and helped her out of the tub, handing her the robe as she finished drying herself off, picking up a comb.

"I'll comb your hair while you eat. Come on."

As they walked in, Kenshin was setting different dishes on the floor while Sano and Yahiko got tea and made a room up for her. The redhead looked up and smiled, then his eyes went wide. He sputtered for a moment before Kanna spoke, a grin spreading over her face.

"AH! I haven't seen you in YEARS!"

She flung herself at him, flinging her arms around his neck and knocking him off balance. Kaoru raised an eyebrow.

"Do you… know each other?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Samurai's Heart. Battosai's Blade**

Chapter 3

Kanna sat down with the others, trying to remember her manners, but soon forgetting them as she ate, shoving anything she could reach into her mouth. Part of her groaned over what a pig she had turned into after her fall from grace, but the other part of her growled and shoved that part off to one side. She was _hungry_ damn it, she hadn't eaten in nearly two weeks, and what she had managed to eat hardly counted as food. Weak broth that an occasional teahouse owner would give her and scraps that she dug out from behind resteraunts.

Yahiko opened his mouth to say something, but Sano put a hand over his mouth and shot him a warning glare.

Kaoru watched as Kenshin refilled Kanna's rice bowl for the third time with a smile, wondering if they had been friends before the war, or maybe their families had been friends. Kanna stopped eating suddenly with a pained expression. Kenshin chuckled and took the bowl out of her hands, even though the small woman tried to take it back.

"I told you not to eat too much too fast. Now look."

Kanna pouted a moment before finally putting a hand on her stomach and making another pained face.

"Hey, you okay?"

She looked up at Sano and nodded, sitting up straight again.

"I'm fine. Just a cramp. Like… _Kenshin_ said, I ate too much."

Sano nodded, passing her a cup of water that was quickly drained.

"When is the last time you ate, Kanna?"

Kaoru's voice was full of worry. She had never seen anybody so hungry that they ate as fast as she had, barely taking tome to chew anything before swallowing, as if worried that what she was eating would be taken from her.

"My last real meal? A good five years ago, I suppose."

"What have you been eating?"

Kanna shrugged.

"Whatever I could find. If it was edible at all, I ate it. I drew the line at week old fish though."

Yahiko made a face and made a disgusted noise.

"You make it sound like you even ate scraps from the garbage!"

Kanna fixed serious eyes on the boy, looking at him for a moment before looking away.

"I did. When you're so hungry that you can barely stand, barely feel, barely think… You'll eat anything."

"Like what?"

"Rats. Insects. Scraps from the garbage… things that are left from meals that are so old that you can't recognize what they used to be…" She seemed like she was going to say more, but stopped.

"I didn't know you were living like that, Slip. If I had-"

Kanna gave a dry laugh, her smile sad.

"I haven't heard that name in a while. Not since the war…"

Kaoru tipped her head.

"You were in the war?"

"Yeah. There weren't many girls in the army, but we were there. Most of them were used as spies, but I was never a good spy. My hair was too hard to disguise. So, I was one of the soldiers, much like Kenshin. We used to be quite close, really."

Yahiko swallowed a mouthful of rice, then spoke up.

"What kind of a name was Slip?"

Kanna and Kenshin snorted, looking at each other for a moment before laughing for a moment at some inside joke. Kanna waved a hand, telling Kenshin to tell the story.

"Well, Kanna joined the army when she was twelve, but she joined my unit at fifteen. How old are you now, Kanna?"

"Twenty-three, now tell the story."

"Right. Anyway, on her first day, she was told that she was to scout ahead to see if there were enemies on the road. She started walking ahead, and we heard a crash and a scream. Myself and a few others ran ahead to see what happened, only to find her sitting at the bottom of a trench that the enemy had been planning to use in an attack. We helped her out, then filled the trench. Soon after, she slipped in the mud and took me down with her. She always seemed to be losing her footing, even in battles. But in battle, she would use her falls to her advantage…Actually, she and I were two of the best fighters…"

His eyes became distant, locked onto Kanna's. The two seemed to be talking without words. Kaoru felt it then. The two had a unique bond. Deeper than twinborn children, and stronger too. They had been through the war together, and somehow survived. Yahiko broke their thoughts with his loud voice.

"Did the enemy know you were called Slip?"

Kanna laughed again, this time with no trace of humor.

"No. I was called Hitokiri Kurai. I was also called the 'Shadow of the Battosai'. We were always together, on and off the battlefield. There were rumors that we were lovers, which couldn't be further from the truth. He was my protector, and my best friend. I was his secret weapon. We were a team, you know?"

Sano let out a slow breath, quietly repeating the name.

"Shadow of the Battosai…"


	4. Chapter 4

**Samurai's Heart. Battosai's Heart**

Chapter 4

Sano looked down at his shoulder, where Kanna, now called Slip, was falling asleep. Her sharp cheekbone bit into his skin uncomfortably, but he didn't move. Kaoru smiled and leaned over to whisper to Kenshin.

"Aw, look. That's sweet. And Sano isn't even moving her off."

"She must like him. She used to do that to me a lot."

Kaoru grinned. Slip did seem to have picked Sano to be her personal pillow, snoring slightly before shifting so her forehead rested against his arm. The tall man looked back up at the other two, then at Yahiko, who was trudging off to go to bed himself. He sighed and eased her up into his lap, then stood, holding her in his arms as easily as he would hold a child.

"Where do you want me to put her?"

Kenshin scratched his nose, thinking. He hadn't thought of where Slip would be sleeping. He looked at Kaoru, who was already standing and pulling a spare futon from it's cupboard and a blanket to go with it.

"She could stay with Sano, Kenshin. He wouldn't do anything, would you?"  
Sano glared as Kaoru giggled and handed over the spare bedding.

"But you could put her in the bathhouse if you like."

Sano looked at the sleeping woman, who held on to his shirt with one small hand in her sleep, and sighed.

"I'll take her to my place. I wanna keep an eye on her anyway. She didn't look too good when I first met her. I guess I'll see you in the morning."

Sano stepped out into the street and shifted Slip so that he could carry her more comfortably, a slight smile on his face.

"I haven't had a visitor in a while, so pardon the mess."

He laughed at himself. He had been using a line that Kaoru always made when there were visitors, even though Kenshin kept the place clean.

He kicked the door to his shack open and set her down, but when he went to get up to set up a place for her to sleep, he discovered her grip on his shirt was stronger that he thought. He sighed and kicked the rolled bedding, sending it a little further than he had meant to, but it unrolled at least. He picked Slip up again and deposited her on the futon and went to stand, and nearly broke his neck trying to avoid falling on and crushing her. Her grip was now two handed and had graduated to a deathgrip.

He went to pry her fingers loose when he saw her face. Her skin was pale and she was starting to sweat, her eyes darting back and forth under her thin eyelids. She made a tiny squealing noise and gave a jerk.

'a nightmare huh? Well, I guess I can sit here until either she wakes up because of it or it goes away.' He yawned and covered her in the blanket after a five minute struggle to hook said blanket with his toe. He looked around and yawned again. 'I'll just lean back a little, it'll be more comfortable, with that nasty grip. Man, I'm tired… I'll just shut my eyes for a minute… just for a… second…'

Sano was asleep on seconds, and Slip wiggled and squirmed until she was as close as she could get without breaking her grip. As soon as she was close enough to feel him breathing, she sighed and smiled in her sleep, the nightmare dissolving into nothing.

A/N

Aww! Wasn't that sweet! I did that to my poor cousin once, and he laughs about it still. (I speak of the deathgrip in my sleep that didn't let up until he had himself fallen asleep. I had a deathgrip on his arm… Sorry Jim!)

So, yeah… What do you think? Sano/Kanna (aka Slip) sound okay? I'm kinda tired of him being with Megumi. He's one of my favorite characters too! Other than Kenshin, of course!

I love reviews, so please send them in! Ideas for where this should go, your thoughts on what occurred, etc. Flames are not paid any heed, so don't bother sending them.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Slip sat up with a start, rubbing her eyes and looking around. She tugged at her hair in agitation. She had no idea where she was, and didn't know how she had gotten there. Even in her days as a 'working girl' in Kyoto, she had never woken up in a place so… messy…

She jumped when she heard a door open and a familiar voice curse. She peeked around the corner and saw Sano trying to hold a jug of water and three boxes that, she assumed, held breakfast. Smiling, she stood up and took the boxes from his hand. He tried to protest, then swore again as the water jug fell to the floor with a crash.

Slip bit her lip to keep from laughing, not wanting to insult the man who had been so generous to her, but snorted when he stammered out an apology for cursing.

"It's fine. I was in the revolutionary army, remember? I won't faint because of a few swears. I promise."

Sano sighed and stepped over the shards of broken pottery, telling her that they could go get more water anytime, but breakfast was getting cold. Slip followed him, making a mental note to pick up the mess later before anybody could hurt themselves. Then, upon looking at the rest of the house, decided she would forgo an early morning bath today to clean up Sano's house…

………………………………….

"Hey, Sano said that you were here. I've got to hand it to you, you're brave for trying to clean this place up."

Slip looked up from her place on the floor with a cloth in her hand to see Kaoru with her hair tied back in a bandana, smiling. She shook back her own hair, sighing. She looked around before continuing.

"I thought I'd give you a hand. Then, when we get done, we can go shopping or something. Sound good?"

Slip nodded, getting back to scrubbing the floor. She had borrowed a pair of Sano's pants and one of his shirts, rolling the sleeves and cuffs many times so she could walk and use her hands. The clothes were very comfortable, but she wanted to have something that was her size and didn't make her feel like a child. She pointed over to a corner that she had already cleaned, wiping hair out of her eyes.

"There is the kimono you let me borrow yesterday. Thank you."

Kaoru smiled and started picking up dirty dishes. Slip finished the floor and moved on to laundry. After she picked up the dirty clothes and set them outside next to the empty tub, she began to heat the water and hunt for soap.

"Don't tell me he doesn't have soap! Ugh! Men are _disgusting_!"

Kaoru snorted and reached into her sleeve, drawing a wrapped portion of soap out to a happy laugh from Slip.

"For a starving woman, you're pretty lively."

"Hey, I got a lot of food and a bath last night. I feel great. Now, if only the water would hurry up and get hot…"

She groaned and watched the water for a moment before walking over to help Kaoru with dishes. The two stood in silence for a while, then the shorter woman laughed, making Kaoru jump.

"What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking… About last night and meeting you. Kenshin, he's… quite fond of you isn't he?"

Kaoru turned red and began sputtering, not meeting Slip's grey eyes. When Slip started to laugh again, Kaoru became suspicious. Was Slip going to be another Megumi?

"Why do you ask?"

Slip pushed her hair back again and walked outside, pouring the hot water into the tub before walking back inside for a moment.

"I'm just here to give you a warning…" her eyes narrowed and her voice lowered to a more serious tone. "Don't hurt him. Kenshin is like my brother, and I love him dearly. If you hurt him… well… Kenshin may have made a vow to never kill again, but _I _didn't."

Then she smiled and shrugged her shoulders, turning to the heap of laundry.

"I don't mean to scare you Kaoru, just making sure you know the rules!"

Kaoru stood frozen in shock for a moment as Slip began to sing happily to herself. She wanted to tell herself that she would be able to beat such a small woman, but her mind kept reminding her that she had been hitokiri, just like Kenshin and Shishio. She shook her head and returned to the dishes, listening to the sounds of Slip singing and scrubbing the laundry. She wasn't sure what the words were meant to be, but they were not a threat. Slip may not have taken a vow to never kill again, but she didn't seem one to kill indiscriminately. It was as she said, just a forewarning.

Slip chewed her lip as she scrubbed furiously at a bloodstained shirt, wondering if she had maybe gone a little too far with her words to Kaoru. But she had been being very honest with the taller woman. She adored Kenshin as a younger sister would adore an older brother who protected and comforted her in horrible times.

She finished the laundry and hung it up to dry, going in to see Kaoru arranging boxes in a corner. She sighed and picked up a cloth to dust with and turned to Kaoru, an apologetic smile on her face.

"I'm sorry for my behavior, Kaoru. I suppose I'm not used to dealing with… other women as well as you are."

Kaoru snorted and turned to pick up another dusting cloth, smiling. While they wiped up the dust, Kaoru spoke.

"I understand. You love Kenshin as the brother he was to you all those years ago. He was probably the only one who was nice to you."

"Yeah. Did I ever mention men are disgusting?"

Kaoru laughed, rinsing out her cloth while Slip finished dusting a small shrine and throwing away the month old offerings.

"I know you want him to be happy, Slip. So do I."

Slip turned and took the taller woman's hand, smiling as they walked out of the now clean house.

"Good. That's all I ask."

Kaoru took a deep breath and led Slip down the road, grinning.

"Now let's get to that shopping!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Samurai's Heart. Battosai's Heart**

Chapter 6

Slip and Kaoru walked through the busy street, pausing every now and then to look at a piece of jewelry or prints of paintings, until they reached Kaoru's favorite place to shop for clothes. Slip smiled and looked around at the selection as Kaoru rattled off a list of things that Slip would need. Wraps, obi, at least two pairs of hakama, three yukata, a few pairs of tabi socks and a few nice kimono. Slip noticed the prices of the items and asked how they were supposed to pay for the clothes.

"We're making a lot more money now, and you need the clothes. No offence intended, but you can't wear Sano's things forever. You can repay us later."

Slip blushed, nodding. She tried on several different kimono, getting frustrated when she would find one she liked only to have it rejected by Kaoru.

"What was wrong with that one?"

She tapped her foot angrily as Kaoru pulled a somber black and white kimono from her hands. She thought that black and white was great for blending in.

"It's too dark. It looks like you are going to a funeral. Besides, I think that green would be a great color for you, with your hair."

Slip shook her head, but was smiling. She hadn't been shopping like this for years, and had forgotten how much fun it could be. When Kaoru held up a wine red kimono with black hares along the hem and golden cranes around the hips, she grinned and nodded. That one they definitely agreed on.

When they finally had purchased everything that they had set out for, Slip noticed that it was past noon. She groaned and shifted the weight of her packages in her arms, craning her neck to look at Kaoru and trying not to trip over the cuff of her borrowed pants.

"So, we'll go…go…"

Slip bit her tongue and coughed softly. She had almost called Sano's small dwelling 'home', as though it was hers too.

"Slip?"

"Er, sorry! Lost my train of thought for a second there! We'll drop these off at Sano's and I'll change into something that fits me. Then we can all go out for late lunch or something!"

Both women laughed and continued walking, ending up at Sano's house while discussing what was different about the two of them.

"Well, Kaoru… You play games," she started, slipping out of the clothes she had borrowed from Sano and pulling on a sunny yellow yukata "and I play tricks. I didn't grow up with a family, and you did. I've been a street urchin my whole life. But you know what?"

"What?"

Slip pulled on her pale grey hakama and tied them tightly, walking back into the room Kaoru was waiting in, smiling.

"It's the past. I'm a wanderer, yes, but maybe I'll find a place to stay nearby."

Kaoru smiled slyly and leaned close to her companion as they walked to the dojo, whispering into the blond's ear.

"I bet Sano would let you stay with him as long as you wanted!"

Slip tripped and landed hard on her shoulder, glaring at Kaoru as she picked herself up.

"Sano was very kind to let me stay with him, but I won't be there long. Of course, the state that house was in, maybe I should stay a little longer."

Kaoru laughed, and Slip felt herself smile and join in. She had forgotten how nice it was to have girlfriends to talk to, and how good it felt to laugh. She hadn't had much to smile about for so long, she was quite sure that she had forgotten.

By the time they got to the dojo, they were flushed and still giggling, leaning on each other for support. Kenshin smiled lopsidedly at the two and scratched his head.

"What is so funny? Did Slip trip on a step or something?"

Slip glared at her friend, then turned to smile at Sano.

"You will be surprised when you go home tonight Sano. The place looks great!"

"Eh?"

Kaoru grinned and gave Slip a gentle bump with her hip, giggling when she got hit with a boney hip in return as Slip stuck out her tongue.

"We cleaned up that sty, Sano. Now Slip won't have to watch her step when she walks in there anymore."

Kenshin snorted and Yahiko bit his lip to keep from laughing. Sano, however, looked a little worried.

"What exactly did you do?"

Slip shrugged, straightening the sleeves of her sunshine yellow kimono and smiling up at the taller man.

"I just, you know, cleaned up a bit."

Kenshin laughed louder at the shocked look on the fighter's face, imagining the horrors that may await at his home. For all he knew, Slip and Kaoru could have gone all out and put flowers and prints of those samurai pretty-boys up all over! Slip smiled up at him and wrinkled her nose, her grey eyes bright.

Somehow, when she wrinkled her nose at him like that, Sano felt like he could get over flowers and pretty-boy prints, as long as she would keep smiling for him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Samurai's Heart. Battosai's Heart.**

Chapter 7

As the group walked, Slip fell back to walk behind the others while Kenshin walked in the front. Her eyes darting over the faces of people who passed, into bushes, up trees and into buildings as they passed. If she had been in front, she would have seen Kenshin doing the same thing.

As they walked, Slip noticed a shadow that seemed to follow them as they headed into town. Feeling a twinge of worry, she sped up a little, giving Yahiko a little push.

"Hey! Watch it!"

Kenshin glanced back and noticed how close Slip had gotten to Yahiko, forcing the boy to walk faster if he was to avoid having her step on him. In response, he quickened his pace, keeping a hand on Kaoru's arm. He shook his head as though trying to get his hair out of his eyes, hoping Slip would remember their own silent codes. Slip's pace slowed, but the others continued to walk their new pace.

Slip stood still for a moment, kneeling down and pretending to tighten a loose strap on her sandal, listening for any kind of disturbance from the right, where the shadow was lurking. Her hands were still as she waited. It wouldn't be long now…

There was a pop and a tall thin man wandered out of the woods, his narrow eyes partially obscured by his dark bangs. Slip's eyebrows shot up as she remembered the man known as the Wolf of the Mibu… But she knew who he was before that…

"So, _you're_ the one that was always the shadow of Battosai, following a step behind…"

She stood slowly, her hand drifting to her sword. She remembered the last time she had crossed paths with this man, and how she had barely escaped with her head. Their shared past hadn't spared her then, and she doubted it would aid her now.

"What do you want?"

The man lit a cigarette and smiled, blowing the smoke toward her face. She took two steps toward the taller man, her hand never leaving the hilt of her blade.

"Have you taken an oath to never kill again also? I always heard that you did whatever Battosai did, just short of getting married."

Slip chewed her lip and touched the scar on her nose, her eyes jumping from him to the path she had abandoned. She _really_ didn't want to be here…

"Well? I'm not going to bite."

"I learned a long time ago that just because a dog wags his tail, it doesn't mean he won't tear your throat out once he has no more use for you… Saito."

Slip saw him raise his eyebrows, then reach into his coat. She dropped into a defensive stance the moment he had moved, and he chuckled as he began to draw something out.

"You didn't used to be this way."

"There was a time when _you_ were trustworthy."

He shrugged.

"Fair enough. Give this to Battosai."

He tossed a envelope to her, then pulled out a second envelope and set it on the ground as if offering food to a stray dog.

"This one is for you. You can take it when I go."

With that, he turned and walked away, not looking back. Slip scooped up the second envelope and slipping it into her obi. She gazed after the tall man, the Wolf of Mibu, Saito Hajime, for a moment, then ran to catch up with her friends outside the Akabeko.


	8. Chapter 8

**Samurai's Heart. Battosai's Heart**

Chapter 8

Kenshin was waiting outside the restaurant for Slip, absently biting a thumbnail. Something had caught her attention and had made her nervous enough to have them all go on ahead, then had stayed behind to investigate. He had signed that he would wait, but it had been over twenty minutes, and he had begun to worry. He glanced over his shoulder when he heard Sano come out to join him.

"So, why didn't Slip come with us?"

"She heard something, I think. She wanted to check it out herself…"

Sano cracked his knuckles, his eyes trained on the dark street before them.

"Think there's trouble?"

Kenshin nodded slowly, holding out a hand to stop the taller man when he made to go after their friend.

"No Sano. This is not for us to worry over. Slip can take care of herself."

"So says the man missing half a thumbnail."

Both men spun to see the pale haired woman standing behind them, a small tight smile on her face. She looked up at Sano and motioned for him to go inside. When he didn't move except to cross his arms stubbornly, her eyes narrowed and her voice took on a harsher tone than the tall fighter had ever heard.

"Inside, Sano. This is not your business. We will be in shortly."

Sano raised his eyebrows and glanced over to Kenshin, and saw the redhead looking serious.

"Fine. I'll tell the others."

When Sano had gone, Slip let her tough aura drop with a sigh. Reaching into her sleeve, she spoke again in a much softer voice.

"Hajime sent you this. He gave it to me himself…"

She passed him the envelope, her face still pointed to the ground as the redhead opened the note and read it. He gave a soft sigh and tucked the envelope and note away, looking up to see Slip smiling again.

"We can talk about it later. Lets join the others now, before they eat our share of the food."

Kenshin didn't move when she tugged his hand, and her happily smiling face crumpled.

"He gave you something too. What was it?"

"I'll read it later. It's heavier than yours, so it may take longer. Now lets go."

Kenshin nodded and the two walked into the Akabeko, smiling as they sat with their friends. Sano noticed that when Slip sat down next to him, she didn't say anything like she usually did. He bumped her gently with his elbow and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Are you okay?"

Slip nodded and smiled at him, but there was no wrinkle in her nose. It wasn't her real smile. Something was bothering her that she was not going to tell him about.

Sighing, he held out a cup filled with sake to her. Slip took it and tossed it into her mouth, then set it down. She watched Kaoru and Kenshin talking, so quiet, her eyes carefully blank. When Yahiko began to drink more sake, she laughed with the rest of them, then volunteered to walk the drunk boy home.

"Are you sure?" Kaoru asked, her own cheeks flushed from drinking "You don't have to."

Slip smiled and helped the boy stand, pulling on her sandals before helping him into his.

"I'm not feeling so well myself. I think I'll go to bed after I drop Yahiko off at the dojo. I'll set up your futon too, Sano."

She waved and walked out, one hand on Yahiko's shoulder. Kenshin bit his lip and put down his cup of tea. Kaoru noticed his troubled eyes, but Sano beat her to the question she was going to ask.

"So… What happened back there? What did she find?"

Kenshin shook his head.

"That isn't for this one to tell you. All I can tell you is that there is going to be trouble in Tokyo."

Kaoru sighed and took a sip of her tea. What – or who - could have made cheerful little Slip turn so quiet and gloomy?

Slip helped Yahiko into his room, then had him sit on the floor while she prepared his bed for him. When she turned around, he was already snoring. Smiling, she carefully maneuvered the passed-out boy onto the futon and covered him. She left quietly, not wanting to wake the boy, but paused long enough to put a pail near him. He would be needing it in the morning.

When she got to Sano's home, she noticed first that he still was not home, then how tired she was. She lit a single lamp and went about setting out first Sano's bedding in the other room, then her own in her little room. Finally she sat and pulled out the envelope Saito Hajime had given her from her sleeve, turning it over in her hands a few times before opening it.

When she tipped the envelope over her hand, a lock of hair and a long letter dropped into her palm. She looked at the hair, the long brown strands tied with a thin blue ribbon, then opened the letter, spreading it out on the floor. As she read, she worried the hair between her fingers.

_Yamako Kanna,_

_It came to our attention not long ago that you had returned to Tokyo. Imagine my surprise to hear that the Hitokiri Kurai had come! I however was unaware for many years that it was you that I was hunting, Kanna. As far as I knew, you had died after that night I saw you six years ago._

_I must say, little Koito looks just like you did when you were her age. She's the same height, with the same eyes and trusting heart. Truly, the only difference is her hair, which, as you can tell from the little token I have included with this letter, is brown. One wonders who she inherited it from._

_Your daughter is gone. She was taken from her room two nights ago by somebody that left behind an owl feather and a piece of her sleeping robe._

_Tokio adores the girl, as if she was Koito's true mother. I am willing to bet that you still love the idea and memory of the child as well. Come to my home tomorrow at eight am. Then we will talk about how to get your daughter back, and maybe you'll even get to keep her._

_Until tomorrow,_

_Saito Hajime_

Slip sat perfectly still, absorbing the news. Suddenly she stood up and kicked the low table near her, shrieking like a demon in her fury.

"You bastard! You were supposed to protect her!"

She sat back down, then stood again, tearing off her kimono and flinging it into a corner. She put on her sleeping robe, tears running down her face, which was red from a combination of rage and trying to keep quiet. It would not help Koito if she woke half of the city. Also, she couldn't have Sano asking questions…

She picked up the table, which had skidded to the far end of the room, and carefully replaced it.

Without thinking to put away the letter, she flung herself down on her bedding and cried until she fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Samurai's Heart. Battosai's Heart.**

Chapter 9

Sano walked quietly into his house, peeking around before closing the door and lighting a small lamp. He saw that his futon was not laid out, and heard Slip's steady breathing. He didn't mind too much that she had not put out his bedding as she had said she would, but in a way it did. She seemed the type to try to take care of people, she had, after all, taken the drunken Yahiko home and put him to bed.

What worried him was her lack of cheer and then her not following through on her words of putting out his bedding. He looked at the floor and saw skid marks all along the floor leading from his table to the wall. Had she kicked it? He looked behind the screen she had erected in front of her own sleeping area and saw a candle burning next to an unfolded letter. It looked like some of the ink was smeared in places, as if she had cried on it.

'Well, I can't go reading her letters. Wait, it that Saito's name? How is she getting letters from Saito?'

Against his own thoughts against snoops who read other people's letters, he knelt down and began to read. When he got to the part about Slip's little daughter Koito, he covered his mouth to keep from making any noise. Slip had a six year old daughter? Who would take somebody's child? And why did Saito sound more like a kidnapper than a concerned guardian?

"What are you doing Sano?"

Sano jumped and turned to see Slip sitting up, a blanket wrapped over her shoulders. Usually, he would have found the picture she made almost cute, but the glare she was giving him and the ice in her voice made him consider picking up the table and using it as a shield.

"I was…er…I saw Saito's name…uhm…"

Slip let out an angry sigh and stood, leaning down and scooping up the letter as she passed. Sano watched her patiently as she paced the room a few times, knowing that she was thinking. He had seen Kenshin do the same thing on many occasions. Sometimes he wondered if he had picked up her habits, or she had taken up some of his while they were in the patriot army together.

Finally she stopped and let out a slower sigh, sounding less angry and more tired.

"I had hoped to leave here and have my own home before I told any of you about Koito. I left her with Hajime a few years back, saying that I feared for her safety. He attacked me then… It was part of his job… But as I ran away, I heard him call that he would take Koito in. He has done just that apparently, up until now."

Sano was silent for a moment, then asked a question that he knew would hurt Slip.

"Who's daughter is Koito?"

Slip turned to look at the tall man, then sat down, her eyes obscured by her pale hair.

"I don't know. Back then, there were a lot of things going on that I am not proud of. I had to eat, you know. It was winter, and…"

She fell silent again, her hands balled into fists. _I don't have to explain myself to __**him**__. I don't have to explain myself to anybody!_ She bit her lip and looked up when she heard a faint thump, half expecting him to be throwing her clothes into a box, to be preparing to turn her out into the street.

To her surprise, he was standing with a rucksack over his shoulder and a small smile on his face.

"Well, I'm ready to go when you are. Are we taking Kenshin with us?"

"Uhm…"

"Well, you can explain things to me a little more as we go. Come on, we'll take Kenshin with us, he may be helpful."

Slip looked down at her hands for a moment, then stood slowly. Sano was a little worried when she began to walk toward him, but his fear went away when she smiled up at him – her real smile – and put her arms around his waist. He could feel her tears soaking through his clothes…

"Thank you, Sano."


	10. Chapter 10

**Samurai's Heart. Battousai's Heart.**

Chapter 10

As Sano picked up a few small things from his home that they would need on the road, Slip changed into her men's yukata of grey with red embroidery on the edges of the sleeves and hakama the color of new leaves. She tied her hair back the same way Kenshin did, at the back of her head. Finally, she tied her sword on her right side and stepped into her sandals.

"Ready then, Slip?"

She nodded and they walked into the dark street.

"So…"

"When I was working with Kenshin, the men we were with decided it was time for me to have a rite of passage, just like the boys. They dragged me to the Red Light district in Kyoto, kicking and screaming. They shoved me into a room with a very pretty woman, a prostitute. I sat in the corner and refused to even look at her. After a while, she got me to come sit with her and talk… Looking back, it was a lot of fun…"

…..

_A round faced Slip sat in the corner of a dimly lit room, glaring at the tatami. She was angry at the men who had pulled this moronic feat, and embarrassed. She had nothing against working women, but she didn't want to actually be locked in a room with one! Especially a room that was set up for…_

_"Are you going to sit there all night? You may as well come sit with me and have some tea."_

_The woman was around twenty, wearing loose kimono and many hair ornaments. Her face was smooth, painted for her night of work. Really, she was beautiful._

_Slip crept over and sat again, her eyes never meeting the older woman's._

_"You don't want to be here, do you?"_

_"No ma'am."_

_The woman looked over at the door, then a wicked smile slipped over her face._

_"Those men are your friends?"_

_"I suppose."_

_"Let's play a game. Do you like chess?"_

_"Yes ma'am."_

_"No more of this 'ma'am' nonsense. I'm Chiyo."_

_"…Kanna."_

….

"They waited for nearly four hours before finally sending a maid up to check on us. Kenshin thought it was funny. The others were angry that they had to pay for four hours of time with a woman."

Sano laughed, wondering how the other men had gotten the quiet Kenshin to go along with such a trick in the first place.

"So, then what?"

"Time went by. I wandered, much like Kenshin did. But I wandered back to Kyoto eventually. I found the house that had so embarrassed me years before, and found Chiyo. I…"

She hung her head, ashamed of what she was going to say. If only people understood how hard it was for her to get any money or food…

"I went to the mistress of the house and… began to work under the name Tomihatsu. That is how Koito came to be."

She looked over at Sano, careful to make sure that he couldn't see her face. In his silence, she could hear the passing of judgment. Then, he asked a question.

"Do you regret it?"

"What?"

He stopped and made her look up at him, brushing her hair back to keep her from using it as a shield.

"Do you regret working in a place like that?"

Slip bit her lip. She didn't really have a good answer for that. Yes, she was ashamed of the fact that she had been a prostitute for almost two years, but if she hadn't, she would have never had the daughter that she so adored.

"No. If I hadn't joined Chiyo, Koito would have never been able to rescue me. She is the reason I left that life, and eventually came here… I would have never met – "

She stopped, her eyes wide. She had almost said "I would never have met you."… Oh, this was not good… Last time she thought like that, the one she had been with had ended up nearly killing her on several occasions. But Sano was so different from Saito…

She shook her head, shaking the thoughts from her head, then smiled and kept walking.

"Er, never have met any of you! Hurry, we need to get Kenshin, and then go see Saito."

Sano followed a few steps behind, his mind still stumbling over her words.

'What was it she was going to say?' he thought, biting his lip. He would never understand women and their weird ways…

A/N

Sorry that I have been unable to post much recently. There have been exams to study for and classes to register and a brush with disease that has yet to be confirmed… Hope you all bear with me! I'll post more in ALL MY STORIES SOON!!!

Hugs to everybody who has reviewed!

Panda91593

g2fan

LAVertisha

TheTwilightRurouni


	11. Chapter 11

**Samurai's Heart. Battosai's Heart.**

Chapter 11

Sano and Slip found Kenshin standing outside the dojo, tapping his foot nervously. He looked up the path to where they stood and nodded, coming toward them with a grim expression.

"Kenshin?"

"The men who took your daughter… The leader and I have unfinished business."

"So Saito's letter - ?"

Kenshin nodded, his frown darkening. His note had been similar to the ones he had received during his days as an assassin, but had said that he needed to meet with Saito and Slip in the morning.

Kenshin noticed the dark circles under both Slip's and Sano's eyes and let a ghost of a smile creep over his face.

"Long night?"

Slip nodded. She wanted to talk to Saito as soon as she could, but there was still two and a half hours until the time that they would be expected. She thought about suggesting going and getting something for breakfast, but thought better of it, feeling like she would just end up throwing it all back up.

Sano rubbed the back of his neck, at a loss for words, and not for the first time today…

"I told him about the little prank you guys played on me with the prostitute."

Kenshin let out a surprised snort, shaking his head.

"If I remember right, you turned that into a prank of your own. And I told you that it wasn't my idea."

Slip rolled her eyes and Sano gave a low chuckle. Both men smiled at each other, then turned back to Slip, who had gone suddenly white.

"Slip?"

She took three uncertain steps toward a low bench, looking like a drunken soldier, then fell forward bonelessly. Both men reached out, but Sano got to her first and caught her before she hit the ground.

"Whoa, are you okay?"

Already Slip was coming out of her fainting spell, voicing her discomfort in a tiny groan. Kenshin motioned for Sano to lift the prone woman and carry her over to the dojo.

"I'll get her something to eat while she rests. We have plenty of time, and she needs to relax for a minute."

When Kenshin was gone, Sano sat behind Slip and tried to hold her up while she tried to pass out again.

"Come on now, none of that. Wake up Slip."

Slip shook her head, trying to clear the heavy fog that dulled her senses and seemed to slow time to a crawl. _Come on, snap out of it!_ Her vision started to distort again and she heard her pulse in her ears followed by a wave of dizziness… Here we go again…

Slip leaned back against Sano, still trying to keep herself conscious. The tall man gave her shoulder a little shake and patted her cheek.

"Wake up. Kenshin's bringing us something to eat, so you have to stay with us."

_But it's so much easier to just go away…_

"Hey!"

His suddenly harsh voice coupled with the sharp flick to her forehead made Slip jump, bringing her back more effectively than shaking her had.

"I'm sorry… I'm so tired, and Koito…"

Sano smiled and ruffled her hair, earning a mock angry glare from the pale haired assassin.

"I know. We'll get her back for you."


	12. Chapter 12

**Samurai's Heart. Battosai's Heart.**

Chapter 12

Slip sat against a wall with a cup of water in her hand. She had refused the food that Kenshin had offered, not touching it to even move it away from it's resting place by her foot. She glanced up every now and then to see Kenshin looking at her like he expected her to fall over dead at any moment.

"I'm fine, Kenshin. You can stop playing mother hen now."

The redhead sighed and shook his head, looking out into the brightening sky. They would leave soon, and he wanted Slip to eat something before they set out. He glanced over at Sano and wondered the tall man would be willing to hold their friend down long enough for him to force some rice down her…

"Don't even think about it Kenshin."

Kenshin raised his eyebrows and tried to look innocent and confused.

"What do you mean by that Slip?"

Slip snorted and tossed the rest of her water down her throat, standing and checking the knot that held her sword to her side. Sano stood and stretched and watched as Kenshin and Slip whispered together for a moment before they nodded and walked outside.

"So… Koito is about… six?"

"Yeah. Six years old and as sweet as can be. I used to write all the time, and she would write to me, but then I… I tried to sneak into Saito's house during the night and steal her away, even though I was starving. I figured that I could give her almost everything that I had, and we would be fine. I missed her so much, I just wanted her to be with me. Saito chased me off, and he tried to kill me when I tried to get past him a second time. But now that she's been taken away, I'm not going to give her up again."

Sano nodded and Kenshin smiled at his friend as the woman tied her hair into a high ponytail and walked faster.

"Let's just get there fast. I don't want to be around Saito any longer than I have to be. Koito is out there, and I want her back."

A/N

Sorry! It's another setup chapter! I'll have the next bit up soon, with some answers and some action!

Happy New Year to all!


	13. Chapter 13

**Samurai's Heart. Battousai's Heart.**

Chapter 13

Saito was waiting for them outside of his house, his arms crossed over his thin chest. He snorted when he saw Sano, then lit a cigarette.

"You brought that idiot with you?"

Sano opened his mouth to retort, but Slip cut across him with a voice as hard and cold as steel.

"Shut up. I have no time for your games. Where is Koito?"

Sano glanced over at the short woman and raised his eyebrows. Her expression was one of deadly seriousness, made even more frightening because he knew what her pretty face usually looked like. Anybody who had met her in the war would have thought that she was frightening, despite her being female.

When Saito didn't answer right away, Slip bared her teeth and, in a feat of strength that none of the men in the room expected, lifted the man by the front of his shirt and slammed him into a wall. She looked quite insane as she spoke.

"If you don't tell me where my daughter is, I will tear out your guts and throw them into a tree, you with them so that I can watch you die slowly."

She released the man and took a slow step back, her eyes never losing their maddened glint. The way she held herself and the look on her face made Sano shiver. He realized with a touch of amazement that she scared him more than Kenshin did when he was fighting…

Saito straightened his coat and pulled out another cigarette and lit it, watching the small woman closely. When she didn't make any threatening moves, he sighed and pulled a map from inside his coat and tossed it to her.

"They are stationed in either Osaka or Kyoto. Their men are known by a red feather sewn onto their clothes. They also carry owl feet on their person… I have no idea why they took Koito, Kanna."

Slip made no gesture to declare whether she had heard him or not, her eyes carefully staying on Saito's, as if she was trying to catch him in a lie.

"What did they want with Kenshin?"

Saito smirked and glanced from Sano to the redhead in question, chuckling.

"Why does anybody shout for the Battouai?"

The three turned back to see that Slip was already leaving, her strides long and sure. Part of Kenshin was relieved that she had not tried to harm Saito, but another part of him wished that she had. The man was far too smug and a few knocks from the little assassin would have brought him down a peg or two. Suddenly Slip flew past him, a streak of silvery hair, and slammed into Saito with all her might.

"What the - ?"

Sano and Kenshin ran inside to see Slip punch Saito in the face one, two, three times, then grab his shirt collar and shake him roughly.

"You're her _father_, you worthless fuck, and you know it! You always knew it! You worthless piece of shit! I should kill you now!"

Sano picked the flailing woman up and hauled her outside, leaving Kenshin to shake his head with a look of disgust at Saito.

Once they were on the road, Kenshin carefully raised the question of Koito's father again. This time, Slip let out a loud mirthless laugh.

"You want to know? He was the only one who came to me during the last two months of my years as Tomihatsu. I did everything a whore is expected to do, and… I got Koito. I thought she would be safe with him! _He was supposed to protect her!!!_"

Sano said nothing as they continued to walk, thinking. He wondered if there was a reason that Slip hadn't told them about Saito other than her own embarrassment, or if there was more. He put a large hand on Slip's shoulder, earning a short smile. They all looked up to see a group of men coming out of the woods around them.

Sano felt a chill when he saw the crazed grin that spread over Slip's face as she drew her blade, dropping to Kenshin's left. Sano raised his fists and waited for the first move. Slip's voice was low and cruel to the bandits.

"There will be blood on the moon tonight…"

With those words, she launched herself at one of the bandits, sword leading.


End file.
